HBS Guy wrote:Yes, am pleased with myself. Miketrees thinks I have spaced the trees a bit far apart but if so, too late to do anything about it. I think light can get through to all the trees.

I have been thinking about this, like planting semi-dwarf eating apples—how many apples can I eat???

So I decided to look up optimum planting distances:

OrangePippin site:

Larger semi-vigorous rootstocks

Fruit tree spacing [when] using vigorous rootstocks

Apple - MM111Pear - PyrodwarfCherry - Colt

Distance between trees: 4.5m - 5m Spread: 4.5m

These semi-vigorous rootstocks are more vigorous than the mainstream semi-vigorous rootstocks and need a bit more space.

These rootstocks are best suited to training as half-standards.

So at 4.6m apart, 5m between rows I think I have it right. The trees have canopies 3-4m wide and are 2 - 3.5m tall.

The cherry trees are on dwarf (NOT stallion) rootstocks and are 2 -2.5m tall. Will plant them as standalone trees 2m apart, take up 14m of Row 5 which is fine. Dwarf apple trees will go in Row 4 and perry pears two rows at the front of the garden.

I am going to plant rosemary, sage and oregano in Row 4 for now, plant spuds where I can between trees and hope to get clivia to plant around the trees. Things go better with lots of different things planted/interplanted. Might sow some lemon balm and borage and they self seed so much should keep going over summer. Comfrey is another thing I want to plant.

No point ATM in trying to plant clover or whatever in the rows between the trees—so much wasteland around, former farmland subdivided then nothing done for decades that gorse, couch, kikuyu etc etc will come up regardless of what I do or plant. There is a piece of land across the road from me that is full of weeds and gorse and ti trees etc etc etc: owner needs to do things he can’t afford before subdividing. Across the road a little way past my backfence is farmland, think just grazing land, not crops. So weeds aplenty setting seed that the wind carries to my block. I could pray all the weeds on my block die I suppose

Abbott & Co are going to cause the mother and father of all recessions—be prepared!